System and method for compressing and storing gas

A compression system for compression of a gas having a temperature greater than an underground soil temperature within the earth, comprising:

• a gas compressing vessel arranged underground within the earth, said gas compressing vessel configured to accumulate and store potential energy in the form of compressed gas and pressurized water;
• wherein the gas compressing vessel has thermally conductive walls;
• wherein the gas compressing vessel has a circular cross-section of an inner side of the thermally conductive walls at least at an upper portion of the gas compressing vessel;
• wherein the gas compressing vessel has an outer side of the thermally conductive walls being surrounded by a layer of a thermally conductive material filling a space between the outer side and soil of the earth, so as to maintain the compressed gas within the gas compressing vessel at a temperature of the soil during air compression and storage;
• a water supply vessel arranged underground within the earth and configured to hold water;
• wherein the water supply vessel has thermally conductive walls;
• wherein the water supply vessel has an outer side of the thermally conductive walls being surrounded by another layer of a thermally conductive material filling a space between the outer side and the surrounding soil, so as to hold the water within the water supply vessel at the temperature of the soil;
• a pressurized water pipeline hydraulically coupled to the gas compressing vessel and to the water supply vessel, and configured to provide hydraulic communication between the gas compressing vessel and the water supply vessel;
• a water pressurization system arranged on the pressurized water pipeline, the water pressurization system comprising a pump configured for controllable pumping water from the water supply vessel into the gas compressing vessel so that a desired flow rate of the water is maintained through the pressurized water pipeline;
• and
• a water flow distributor arranged within the gas compressing vessel and coupled to the water pressurization system via the pressurized water pipeline, the water flow distributor including at least one nozzle configured to direct a stream of the water pumped into the gas compressing vessel along the inner side of the thermally conductive walls of the gas compressing vessel in the direction where the inner side has the circular cross-section, thereby circulating the water stream inside the gas compressing vessel along the inner side.